Call to the Pen » rookie of the year

Bryce Harper NL Rookie Of Year

Lew Freedman — Tue, 13 Nov 2012 17:25:49 +0000

Life is pretty much going the way Bryce Harper planned it. So confident of his baseball ability that he left high school early, obtained a GED, and played a year of junior college ball to speed up his draft availability, Harper was orchestrating his baseball life by the time he was 17. Then he did indeed get drafted high by the Washington Nationals, signed a rich contract, sped through the minors and by 2012 was playing regularly in the Washington outfield.

And playing well enough that Monday he was selected as the National League rookie of the year. There was plenty of competition for the award, too, so it wasn’t a walkover. But the just-turned-20-year-old who has had a book about him already, still got what he was after when it comes to a trophy you can only win once. (more…)

Mike Trout AL Rookie Of Year

Lew Freedman — Tue, 13 Nov 2012 16:01:04 +0000

Mike Trout had a fabulous debut season for the Los Angeles Angels and everyone knew his selection as the American League rookie of the year announced Monday was a no-brainer. The foregone conclusion came to pass and Trout received his deserving reward with this stamp of recognition.

It’s always a treat when young talent reveals itself and Trout is young. At 21 he became the youngest AL rookie of the year winner in history after playing most of the season at age 20. His all-around season was phenomenally impressive. Trout batted .326 with 30 home runs and 83 RBIs, stole 49 bases, scored 129 runs, and recorded an on-base percentage of .399. That will win you rookie of the year notice every time. He also showed talent in the outfield and some believed he would win a Gold Glove award for his fielding, but he did not. (more…)

Yoenis Cespedes for American League Rookie of the Year

Kyle Davis — Wed, 03 Oct 2012 15:10:37 +0000

Sep 25, 2012; Arlington, TX, USA; Oakland Athletics left fielder Yoenis Cespedes (52) hits a double during the tenth inning against the Texas Rangers at Rangers Ballpark. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-US PRESSWIRE

No one is talking about the American League Rookie of the Year race and this is a gross injustice that needs to be rectified. All I’ve been hearing about lately is the AL MVP. Mike Trout, Miguel Cabrera, blah blah blah. Everyone seems to be taking for granted that just because Mike Trout is getting some (largely undeserved) MVP buzz, that this automatically makes him the undisputed AL Rookie of the Year, end of discussion. End of discussion? There needs to be a discussion! There is no such thing as a sure things in sports (or sports writing). There must always be two options, and we must consider both options and give them equal weight because that is what’s fair and right (and controversial). In this spirit, I present to you the Oakland Athletics’s Yoenis Cespedes (American League Rookie of the Year).

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Now We Find Out If Hanley Ramirez Matters Anymore

Lew Freedman — Fri, 27 Jul 2012 01:03:57 +0000

Hanley Ramirez‘s head is probably spinning so fast it resembles the scene in the Exorcist. But if he wants to sort out why he was traded from the Right Coast to the Left Coast, from Miami to Los Angeles, all he has to do is look in the mirror. Periodically, players are polled about who the most overrated players in the sport are and at this point not only should Ramirez lead the majors, he should have a couple of stars next to his name emphasizing it.

This may or may not be the same poll, but if a vote was taken to list the greatest underachievers, Ramirez would be tops on that. Now that the Marlins, a team that seemed likely to be his home for the duration of his career, gave up on him and shuttled him to the Dodgers, it should dawn on Ramirez that it’s time to stop whining, play hard, and make himself useful. If he’s smart, he’ll do that and he might well end up on the National League pennant winner and in the World Series.

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Adding Ichiro Suzuki Same Old Yankees Shrewd Move

Lew Freedman — Wed, 25 Jul 2012 02:48:33 +0000

Bringing in Ichiro Suzuki from the Seattle Mariners is a pennant-winning move by the New York Yankees, even if he can’t pitch. Although Ichiro is 38 and although he was batting a career-low .261 when obtained, I think he will be energized by the trade and could light up New York like Broadway during the closing weeks of the season.

Suzuki is a unique and special talent and although all of his indicators over the last couple of seasons point to him being on a downward slide the Yankees (who needed pitching more) were wise enough to take a chance on him for the remainder of 2012. It is not far-fetched to think that Suzuki can rejuvenate his production and be a daily difference-maker for the Yankeees between now and the end of September.

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Baseball History: DiMaggio 75 Years Ago

Wed, 30 Nov 2011 11:36:05 +0000

Seventy-five years ago marked a landmark season in baseball history. 1936 was the rookie year of none other then New York Yankee outfielder Joe DiMaggio.

DiMaggio in '36/Google Images

There was no Rookie of the Year Award then. It would be 11 years before Brooklyn Dodgers first baseman Jackie Robinson would win the first in 1947. And 13 years before the first American League Rookie of the Year Award was won by St. Louis Browns outfielder Roy Sievers. But if there had been an award for freshman there is a good chance DiMaggio would have won it.

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Safety In Numbers: Best New Artist

Michael Engel — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 03:24:33 +0000

Not too long ago, the internet nearly exploded from pre-teen angst over the upset victory by Esperanza Spalding over Tiger Beat dynamo Justin Bieber for “Best New Artist” at the Grammys. My first reaction was “I’ve heard the Esperanza Spalding and it’s awful.” My next was “So what?”

The funny thing about how the world works is an event right now isn’t often a guarantee of future failure or success. Bieber’s going to sell scads more posters, magazines, books, DVDs, tickets, and oh yeah, music, than Spalding. His ultimate legacy could go the route of Michael Jackson who went from child star to icon. He could be another flash in the pan like oh so many.

His winning or not winning the award doesn’t have any bearing on his success. I know this because baseball tells me so.

Baseball’s version of the Best New Artist is the Rookie of the Year Award. It’s been given to Hall of Famers. It’s been won by journeymen. Nearly everyone who’s won it has been an All-Star at least once, but many were so honored just once.

It’s a mixed bag entirely.
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